The Wanderer
by Admiral Biatch
Summary: A fic based on the wanderings of Inuyasha. Inuyasha ends up repeating his past, only this time, with his friends. Or are they really his friends? Secrets are revealed all around, and Naraku gets a bit nastier. Spoilers are present.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own none of these events or names, just the word order.   
  
I got some dark thoughts clouding my brain, so I felt like releasing them here. This is a primarily dark fic, and I will try to throw everything I can possibly throw at you, at you. I have a bad habit with these comments, so I will try not to have as much anymore after this. I will, however, respond to reviews here though. That is all.   
  
As we enter the rabbit hole...   
  
**Prologue**   
  
That's all he was. A wanderer. Going from village to village, staying just far enough to be out of sight. He had lived that way for quite some time, before he could even remember. There were vague memories of his past, of a few happy moments with his father. But that is all he had, a vague impression. And a murderous brother. He couldn't even count the times his half-brother had attempted to exterminate him, much as one would crush a bug, on his hands anymore. He had grown weary of it. Fortunately, he had become very good at outrunning his brother. Usually he just gave up after a while. The villagers were never really a piece of pie either. When he was young, they would always keep him from their games, tormenting him with who he was. After he lost his mother, he took of, and began the life of a wanderer. Villages wouldn't accept him when he was young, and were always mortally afraid as he got older and stronger. As such, he learned to sleep in trees, keeping an eye out for anything out to get him. Other demons occasionally popped up, some which managed to inflict major wounds. He always escaped though, and healed. Occasionally he would hunt for food, whenever he really needed it, but that was usually rare. As such, he continued his life, just surviving as best as a half demon could.   
  
But then he happened upon a village, one protected by an ancient magic held by this priestess. He stayed on the outskirts of the village, watching her. He knew she was the protector of something, that something being the jewel of four souls, as he later would learn. When he found out about its qualities, a hunger was born. He could finally relieve himself of all of his troubles, of the thing that was the root of his problem. So he planed on taking it. Unfortunately she was always there to protect it, whether it was from small demon, large ones, and all in between. But she never killed him. No, she would always pin him to a tree, never really exterminating him. This always frustrated him. He knew the only two ways to peace would be death or use the jewel to become a full demon. He was not ready, nor aware of the third path. She seduced him, using her similar position to lure him into a false sense of security and hope. She wanted to be free of the jewel, because it was a great burden to bear, one where she never got a moments rest. She was tired, and was going to be rid of the burden. But the jewel was never one to be shirked of in such a manner. A burned criminal came to the village, and as per her job requested, she tended him. But unwise such a decision was. The criminal became infatuated with her, and called forth many demons to take hold in him. Thus Naraku was born out of pure evil. The jewel had a mind of its own, and always enjoyed the continuous fight over it. It was not about to let the fight die out. She told Inuyasha of her plan, the third path he could take. She had manipulated him right where she wanted him. He accepted, too blinded by the sense of relief and love. But something went wrong. Naraku did not share the criminal's lust for the priestess. He wanted the jewel for himself, so he could become more powerful, and end the hanyou curse upon him. So he took advantage of the current weakness of the hanyou and the priestess. He tricked them, planting thoughts of betrayal in their heads, turning them against each other. Enraged, Inuyasha went for the jewel, reverting back to plan A. Unfortunately, she caught up with him and pinned him to a tree for the last time. She was too weak from her wounds to survive though, and had died, and had the jewel burned with her. The jewel had struck again, manipulating things so that the battle could continue. Naraku was quite angry at losing the jewel, and went of to prepare for the future, because he knew it would be back. The jewel of four souls never turned down a good fight for itself.   
  
He was pinned. Asleep for eternity. That was how this girl found him. The jewel had found itself someone deep in the future good enough to carry on its fight. So it brought her back, back in time, back to the era it left. Inuyasha just had the unfortunate of getting pulled into the destructive web that the jewel cast again. It didn't like staying in the body of this girl anymore, so it ended up attracting another demon to it. The jewel used its presence to break part of the spell on Inuyasha. The girl inevitably had to release Inuyasha, and bring him into the fight once more, or perish at the hands of a demon. Everything was going to the jewel's plan. Once Inuyasha was released, he resumed where he had left of, and resumed his fight for the jewel, just as planned. The old woman ended up protecting the girl from him, and created an artificial balance between them. The jewel was most pleased. It could resume feeding of the conflicts of others. But then something happened the jewel didn't plan on. The girl accidentally split the jewel into many shards, which spread out all over Japan. The jewel didn't like being split at first, but it found it was much better off, sucking up conflict in a much wider radius. Things fell into place much faster than the jewel expected though, and soon there were two forces, constantly in conflict. All it would have to do is not get itself purified when it was completely put back together, and used. That would be a simple task with what it had to work with... 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not a product of Biatch Industries.   
  
Just to clear up some stuff, I never said Kikyou was evil. That springs from some stuff that will happen later. You will see. Just for the record, here is my philosophy on the whole Kikyou-Inuyasha thing:   
  
1.Kikyou and Inuyasha really did have feelings for each other.  
2.They were ripped apart because they didn't trust each other.  
3.Kikyou didn't have to tend that criminal. She didn't listen to Inuyasha when he warned her about it, and paid for that mistake.  
4.Kikyou wanted Inuyasha to change who he was for her. This was because she couldn't be with him because of their situation. This tells me one thing: She didn't love him with all her heart. If she did, nothing would have stopped her.  
5.Inuyasha made a promise to protect her. So he feels responsible for her death, and his conscience haunts him because of it. This is because of his morals and such. However, this doesn't mean he is hopelessly chasing after a dead girl; he just wants to put her to rest. He has a stupid way of doing it, but it is kind of like the situation with Kohaku.   
  
I guess I should say this is primarily a Inuyasha-Kagome based paring, but this is a angst fic, and we all know what that means: pain. But there is always light at the end of the tunnel...   
  
_WARNING_: Some spoilers are present, along with allusions to events in the manga later on. I suggest you have read all of the currently released manga. However, it does not matter too much, only for the start of this fic, and you can get the gist of things without reading it.   
  
**Chapter 1**   
  
The jewel was not happy. Naraku had lost the last shard to the Inuyasha group, and been defeated as well. It sensed the end coming near, and would have to act fast, or be purified and used for a wish. That was not going to happen if the jewel had anything to do with that. Naraku hadn't been completely destroyed, he had another part of his body hidden somewhere else, so he could regenerate. He at least wasn't out of the picture yet. The jewel would have to act fast if it didn't want to become whole again...   
  
Returning home to a nice hot shower and a warm bed. That was all that was on Kagome's mind. She was tired after her last battle with Naraku. She was rather proud of Inuyasha for gaining a new attack, it meant they had that much more chance of finally finishing of the jewel, and she could end this nightmare. "That isn't completely true," she berated herself, "Just look at all the great times you had here." She remembered all of the fun times, Inuyasha's first reaction to ramen, that time she scared the group with her camera she brought with her from the future. They thought it had sucked up their souls and put it on paper. She had a hard time explaining to them all the processes involved in that. She couldn't help but smile at all these happy memories. "Oi, wench. What are you so happy about?" Inuyasha always knew how to ruin a perfectly good moment. "Just remembering," She hoped Inuyasha would catch on and leave her in peace. Luckily he didn't press her any further. She wasn't in the mood to get into any arguments today. They continued on the path back to Inuyasha's forest...   
  
Naraku wasn't pleased. Inuyasha not only had managed to defeat him and his barrier, but he had gotten the last shard. Now all they had to do was find him and he would lose. He was fortunate enough to have created a younger him. It would be harder to be destroyed with 3 of him wandering around. He would have to find their ultimate weakness before he could chance coming out to destroy them himself. He had underestimated them for far to long. He was going to find out everything he could about them, and exploit every weakness to the fullest...   
  
They reached Inuyasha's Forest, and soon were back at the village. Sango and Miroku settled down and waited for the inevitable squabble that would eventually occur between their other two companions. Miroku snuck his hand in for a quick grope. He was met with a quite a slap, one that knocked him of the fence they were sitting on. "You'd think you'd be able to keep your hands to yourself for even a little while." "Force of habit I'm afraid, my dear Sango," Miroku apologized as he untangled himself from the fence. Sango sighed, and waited for the inevitable eruption from Inuyasha...   
  
Kagome was tired, impatient, and wanted a hot bath very badly, so she wasn't going to let a little thing like Inuyasha stand in her way. Right like clockwork, he was in front of her, preventing her passage to the well. Inuyasha, if you want to keep any semblance of the face you have, I suggest you get out of my way. I am just going to go back to freshen up, get more supplies, and catch up with my work. I'll be back soon." Inuyasha, of course, couldn't take a hint if it was smacked in his face with a bowl of ramen. "But we still have to find the last half of the jewel!" Inuyasha came very close to sounding like he was whining. Kagome, of course was fed up with it, having put up with it for so long. "Inuyasha, the jewel is still going to be here when I get back, sheesh. Sometimes I wish you could be a little more considerate of others. It couldn't hurt you being a little nicer to others." Kagome pushed passed him. Inuyasha caught her arm and swung her around. He had a strange look in his eye, something Kagome had never seen before, and couldn't quite place it. It looked like he was remembering something mixed with some intense hurt, like her words had deeply moved him. "Do you really want me to be all nice and considerate?" Kagome was baffled by this sudden question. Never one to turn down a golden opportunity when it presented itself, she nodded her head yes. "Then you have one week. Promise me you will come back after one week is over." He had a sort of pleading look to his eyes. Kagome didn't know what to make of this sudden change, but figured it was all for the good. "Inuyasha, you know I will always come back." Inuyasha didn't look like he believed that. "Just promise me." "Okay Inuyasha, if it makes you happy, I promise I'll be back after one week." He let go and started of towards the god tree. Kagome looked back once, doubted leaving for a split second, then remembered the hot bath awaiting her, and jumped into the well. She heard Inuyasha's voice follow her down, "Don't be late. It might cost you more than you think." That was the last thing she heard from the feudal era as she found herself back home. What he said disappeared from her mind as she headed for that hot bath she wanted...   
  
One of Naraku's puppets was lurking near the well. Far away, at the other end, Naraku had observed the interaction. "So, that is where the girl disappears to. I always wondered why they always seemed to stay put for a while there. Well, well. I think I know what to do to that girl. She has been a thorn in my side long enough." Naraku ordered his puppet to spy on Inuyasha. "That mutt never moves from there. Getting him away will be difficult." Naraku exterminated his puppet, and went of to assemble more plans against Inuyasha and his group...   
  



	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to the all-great and mighty Rumiko Takahashi!   
  
Chapter 2   
  
Inuyasha didn't know why Kagome's words had suddenly moved him. He didn't know where the idea had come from either. It was almost ludicrous what he was going to do, but he would finally get to see what Kagome really thought of him. He was tired of waiting and hoping, and was too proud to find out himself. Deep down he didn't want to be rejected, so his pride kept that from happening. Something deep within him told him that this was the right thing for him to do. It might shock them, but it felt like the right thing to do.   
  
He hoped she would do the right thing also, because he would hate to wake up from this with an insatiable hate for her because she had made a mistake, or shown what she really thought of him, a worthless hanyou. That wouldn't help his quest at all. As much as he hated to admit it, Kagome was an important part of the team, and seemed to hold them all together like glue. He would hate to find out the glue wasn't really that strong. He sat high in his God tree, debating whether or not it was worth it. He relaxed deep into the tree, letting its strength support him. He didn't know how much longer he could keep his little charade up anymore. He knew he was falling for her, but that rubbed him wrong in so many places. One, he didn't want her to be a target for Naraku. Protecting her was hard enough already. Two, there was the thing with Kikyou. He still had to put her soul to rest, and that had proved quite an impossible task. But he had promised himself he would put her soul to rest, so he would figure it out sooner or later. He never knew quite why Kagome seemed so hurt by that. It was just another thing that confused him. He knew that she was all hate, and had no life left in her, and it was his responsibility to put her back where she belonged. That leaded to three, destroying Naraku, the root of all his problems. He couldn't allow that to fall of his list, or he would lose the battle he was fighting. These were all much more important now that the jewel was just missing the piece Naraku had. As soon as it was complete and purified, he would run out of excuses for keeping Kagome here. It was all coming too soon. He wasn't ready to tell her how he really felt. There was too much unfinished business. What to do with the jewel would was just one of those things. If things didn't work out the way he hoped, he would have to tell her how he felt, and that could lead to rejection. He had already suffered enough from his first relationship, and didn't want to suffer anymore. He didn't think he could take it a second time. He gazed up at the night stars. Kagome would be back in a week. He had already started to miss her perfumed scent, the way she was always happy, except when he made her mad. Truth be told, he almost took a perverse pleasure in making her mad. Sure the sits hurt, but she was cute when she was mad. She had an inner strength that attracted Inuyasha to her in the first place. He might not have fallen in love with her that first day on the God tree had she not yelled at him. He would miss the yelling, that was for sure. He didn't like exposing his true self to everyone again, and give everyone a chance to be what he hated, but if it worked the way it should, he would be a lot better off...   
  
The rest of the group had retired to Kaede's hut. Kaede was out picking herbs deep in the fields. They all sat around a glowing fire, watching the shadows that it cast. Miroku was deep in thought. Inuyasha and Kagome didn't have much of a fight, and that was not a good sign in his book. Their arguing was like clockwork, and they never seemed to miss a chance to duke it out with each other. It was humorous to watch the two as they fought it out, each one never really realizing exactly what they were doing, except that the other had pissed them off. 'If only I could reach that stage with Sango.' A perverted hand slid over silently behind the curve of Sango's bottom. A few seconds later, he was on the other side of the room, with a large bump on his head, and a red handprint on his cheek. "Really priest, I thought you could keep your hands to yourself for a night." The priest's groping was a common thing, so Sango didn't know why she could even think for a moment he could be good. It had become a regular event, just like Inuyasha and Kagome's fights. He would grope, and she would bash his skull in with her oversized boomerang, slap him, or a combination of both. Miroku was smirking like the idiot he was. "Really, Sango, do you detest my groping that much?" Sango was caught of guard, but quickly rebounded, though she would have to give Miroku a point for catching her off guard like that. "If you didn't go around to every girl you met and do that, I might not have a problem with it." As soon as she said it, she regretted those last words. In her search for a rebuke, she had accidentally let Miroku in on one of her feelings. "Ah, I did not know that affected you that much, lady Sango. If you would like, I can stop that. But as you know, I still must have a heir to continue the fight with Naraku." She cursed herself again. Miroku had caught that, and was going to dig a little deeper. She wished Kagome or Inuyasha was here to butt in, and get her out of this sticky situation. She mentally cheered as she came up with an excuse not to finish their conversation. "Inuyasha and Kagome have been awfully quiet this evening. I wonder if anything has befallen our friends?" Miroku mentally cursed. Sango had gotten herself out of his trap this time. That is why he liked her; she could stand up to his probing, and even return them sometimes. He would have to wait until another time to get more out of her. "Ah, yes. I noticed our friends have been silent tonight. I hope Kagome hasn't killed our hanyou friend. Perhaps we should check on them." 'Anything to get out of this hut,' Sango thought. "I think it might be a good idea." The two got up and went of in search of Inuyasha, or what remained of Inuyasha...   
  
Inuyasha was lost in thought when the crunch of leaves and grass alerted him to the presence of an intruder. He got up and sniffed around. He identified the two smells as Sango and Miroku. He relaxed a bit, knowing he didn't have to deal with a demon tonight. He had too much on his mind. He wondered why they had come out here, and then he realized that he didn't fight with Kagome, so they were probably worried when they hadn't heard Kagome subduing him at the top of her lungs. He didn't feel like answering their questions tonight though. He sat back down, and hoped they would go away if he ignored them. The pair made it to the God tree, and looked up into its branches. Outlined by the moonlight, they spotted Inuyasha's form. Miroku was relieved that Kagome hadn't done any permanent damage, and their hanyou was still operational. He looked a little moody though. He would have to question Inuyasha to get anything out of him. "Hey, Inuyasha, what happened to Kagome?" Inuyasha looked down, and answered, voice thick with annoyance. "What do you think you baka? Kagome went down the well to her time." Of course Miroku knew that Inuyasha would never tell him anything freely, so he questioned a bit more. "What did you do this time Inuyasha?" As he had guessed, Inuyasha got mad at that question. "What do you mean, what did I do? I didn't do anything! I let her go back for a week." Miroku was stunned. Inuyasha had let Kagome go back. He usually wouldn't stand for that, and would come close to whining every time she went back. This worried the monk that somehow, Inuyasha was not one to change his ways without reason. Sango picked up on that fact too. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" Sango normally wouldn't question the hanyou. She usually left that up to Miroku or Kagome. But grotesque possibilities were running through her mind, along with Miroku. "So I let her go back, what is the big deal?" Inuyasha was avoiding them, that much Miroku knew. "You never let her go back without a fight. Why now?" Inuyasha spared them a glance. "So I can't let her go back because I didn't want to get sat?" Miroku was amazed. Inuyasha had managed to hold his own in a battle of wits. Miroku couldn't rebuttal that. He had underestimated Inuyasha. He had more brains in that hard head than he gave him credit for. A realization dawned on Miroku as he stood there. Inuyasha had managed to keep hidden that he actually had a brain, and his enemies always saw him as some stupid hanyou that could be squashed. That was how he managed to defeat them, even though he was sometimes outclassed. He used everyone's natural prejudice against them. Inuyasha noticed the monk was staring at him, and it unsettled him. The monk looked like he had discovered something of vast importance. So he did what he always did in that kind of situation. "What are you looking at, monk?" Miroku was snapped out of his revile, and quickly covered himself. "Just thinking." Miroku motioned for Sango to follow him. Sango took the hint and left Inuyasha alone, and followed Miroku back to the hut. Inuyasha was glad that the monk had left him alone. He resumed staring at the stars. They always seemed to comfort him it any time of need. He missed Kagome. He hoped the plan worked, then he would never have to stare at the stars anymore. He would have Kagome's eyes to stare into... 


	4. Chapter 3

Fan fiction - a work of fiction based on a popular work by an author, usually done by fans of the work. Usually extend an author's story by adding their own ideas that they would like to see.   
  
Chapter 3   
  
Kagome cursed Inuyasha. He sure knew how to ruin her life. She was worried something big was happening, and Inuyasha had let her go back, so she wouldn't be in the way. She didn't want to think of the other options. She mentally cursed. He had managed to single handedly prevent her from getting any work done. She couldn't even think straight enough to solve simple addition. She thumped her head down in her book. Souta came by to check up on his sister. He was worried for her. She was vexed by something when she came back yesterday, and it wasn't going away. He opened the door, and saw her with her with her head in her books. 'Awe, she is just worried about school.' Souta came up next to his sister. "How are ya doing sis?" Kagome tilted her head to look at Souta. "Not too good." Souta thought that this might not be just schoolwork. "What's wrong?" Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha let me come over here for a week." Souta took a minute to process this, and then looked at her strangely. "You're worried because Inuyasha let you come over here? Is that all?" Kagome nodded an affirmative. Souta laughed. "You're all worked up because Inuyasha let you come back? That seems silly. You are worried over nothing. You should relax." Kagome glanced back up from her book infused position, and smiled. "I guess you are right, Souta. I should relax." Souta smiled, glad that he had helped his sister. 'Hey, I might even get to see Inuyasha again!' Souta thought as he returned to his room. Kagome got up, and put her books away. She had missed the comforts of her time, and was not going to waste time with school. A hot bath sounded good right about then...   
  
Inuyasha seemed pretty dormant. The sun had already risen and fallen three times, and he had not gone insane waiting on Kagome. Sango and Miroku were slightly worried for the friend. He seemed much more thoughtful, and seemed to stay in his tree. Shippo had already run out of things to do, and tried to pester Inuyasha. Inuyasha had only gently shooed him away, though he still called him a brat. This scared poor Shippo, who wasn't used to that side of Inuyasha, nor hearing him without him using his course voice. He thought Inuyasha was sick, which Inuyasha reminded him that demons don't get sick. Shippo didn't know what to do. So he left Inuyasha alone, and went to play with Kirara. What Shippo didn't know was that Inuyasha was carefully forgetting his past, blocking things that had affected him so much as to force him to develop his rude, arrogant personality. For Miroku and Kagome were right, he was a gentle person inside, but his past, and his present prevented him from ever showing it. He knew that he couldn't change the personalities and habits of everyone in Japan, but this might make things more bearable. If it failed, he was in for more pain, but he already knew that pain, and could deal with it. If worst came to worst, he would become what he was before he found his friends: a wanderer. 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No one owns pain. I don't pretend to own it, nor do I pretend to own Inuyasha. Trying to only leads to pain.   
  
** Chapter 4 **   
  
Kagome actually had a pleasant week. She had gotten caught up, which was a minor miracle, and had even managed to get a little ahead, by asking her teachers for the work ahead of time, since she was always sick. Some teachers didn't like doing that, but others were pleased with her initiative. Her friends had already tried to set her up with Hojou again, but she managed to stop them in the nick of time. She was too happy to have to tell Hojou she couldn't go with him when she would be going back. She couldn't believe her luck. Things were actually looking up for once. Things couldn't be any better. In fact, she almost had this feeling things were going to be great when she went back in time. Maybe Inuyasha had grown tired of being his rude self, and was going to be nice for a change. Even though that seemed impossible, she let that hope exist because she was just so exhilarated. Her friends noticed that and tried to pry out of her what was making her so happy. Eri, the smarter one, picked up some hint that Kagome was happy because of someone, which, when she brought it up, the other two pinned it on a guy. After much investigation, Kagome admitted to having one, just to have them off her back. When they asked who he was, she was hesitant to say, but the figured it out anyway. But they were still under the impression he was a violent, selfish jerk from the times they did get some info out of her. She had tried to remove that illusion, but failed simply because she wasn't ready or in the mood to defend him. But this time it was different, she was in a exuberant mood, and she almost spilled too much. She ended up telling them about his kindness, gentleness and strength, though he hid it most of the time. Eri, the sensitive one, saw that she was madly in love with him, much like her earlier conclusion. She suggested that Kagome should let them meet him. Kagome was quick to deny them that pleasure, since she knew if they did see him her cover would be blown, and things might be a little harder on them all. It was a wonder that the government hadn't investigated all of her absences. She wondered just how inefficient the government was. She was able to appease them with an excuse though, because of Inuyasha's shyness. She wondered what he was doing right now. She knew collecting the jewel shards was important to him, though probably less important than he made it out to be. The jewel was almost complete, and Kagome's thoughts turned to what would happen to their little group of motley friends. She knew Inuyasha would probably use the jewel to become full demon, but she wasn't so sure about Sango and Miroku. Those two didn't seem to have any wishes for their future, only the things they had to avenge. She didn't know what they would do with themselves if they all managed to beat Naraku. Inuyasha still had Kikyou to worry about though. Kagome frowned as her thoughts turned sour and painful. Who knew so much pain could be caused by a bit of her soul and a bunch of dirt...   
  
Far off, far away from any settlement, Kikyou was recovering from her wounds. She sensed that Naraku had set forth a plan to smoke her out of hiding and destroy her. Part of her was happy that she might be able to embrace death again. It was such torture to be revived into the world, into a clay pot, which sentenced her to gathering of souls to survive. Her mind was intact, completely reawakened by that witches spell, yet not fully in control. She had only received a small part of her soul back. It was in complete control, that seething hatred which she died with. It took all her strength sometimes, to hold back that anger, so that she wouldn't foul up her carefully laid plans. She wanted Naraku to complete the jewel, and become full demon. Then she could swat him down like the bug he was. He didn't know it, and neither did Inuyasha, that hanyous were actually stronger than their demon counterparts, simply because of their human side. It allowed them a better control of their instincts, and lended them some of the cunning and ingenuity that was present in the human mind, though not many used it. Naraku would become just another demon when he absorbed the jewel. Naraku especially had benefited, because of his unusual abilities with barriers and magic. Had he not had his human half, he would not be able to do those sorts of things. He would be easy to shoot down once he became a normal demon. She hoped that Inuyasha would not choose that path, because it would make him weaker. He had long forgotten that it was his human side that allowed him to wield Tetsusaiga. The sword would become useless without his human side. He would become easy prey to the more powerful demons that came upon him. Her soul wanted that pleasure, that opportunity, that release, and she wasn't going to let him get away. Her soul would drag him to hell when she returned. Her mind did not like that, as she could see what had happened. But no control was granted her over her soul, and that was what kept the clay animate. Inuyasha would have to release her mind if he didn't want to go to hell with her. She wished he would do it soon, and release her of the awful burdens she had to carry again. Her mind retched at the thought of wandering the lands for eternity. She had already tried to restart her life, disillusion herself into thinking things were okay, and would work out. But she now realized she would always carry that all consuming hate around, and she would not be free of its torture until Inuyasha got over his promise, and released her. She would destroy Naraku, and then if Inuyasha would not release her, she would appease her soul by dragging him to the depths of a fiery hell with her... 


	6. Chapter 5

All Fan Fic writers do not own Inuyasha,  
I am a fan fic writer,  
Therefore I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
_ Let the pain begin... _   
  
** Chapter 5 ** Dark purple mist surrounded the clearing in the dank, dark, and demented forest, a disgusting stench in the air. A stench of death. Deep in the mist stood Naraku, flanked by Kana and Kaugura. He wasn't wearing the white baboon pelt he usually wore, which meant one thing: this was the end. There would be no more games, no more illusions. The Shikon was complete. It was a fight for the jewel. Nothing would come of this battle except for death of one of the parties. Just death, nothing more. It would be one or the other. One or the other...   
  
Kagome stood by her friends, all ready for their last battle. Inuyasha had his transformed sword out, ready to slice Naraku to ribbons. Sango had her boomerang out in front of her, ready to throw it at a moments notice. Miroku had his staff in one hand, ready to drop it and unsheathe the air rip if need be. Kagome had an arrow strung in her bow, tense for battle. Shippo had several nuts and acorns ready for some illusions. Kirara was transformed into her larger self. A tense air hung about the clearing. Naraku erected a barrier around himself to prevent any harm from coming to him.   
  
Then they came. In mass they attacked, ready for blood and destruction. Demons flooded the field, pouring from the mists, converging on one spot: the location of the group. Miroku unleashed his void, sucking the monsters deep within his void. Inuyasha used the cutting wind to dispatch as many as he could. Sango assisted by flinging her boomerang at any demon that got too close. There was no end to the onslaught. Wave after wave, demon after demon, monster after monster, hideous beast after hideous beast, kept coming and coming and coming. Inuyasha was tiring from all the swinging he had to do, and Miroku had sucked up many demons, much more than he had ever before. The diamond shards in Inuyasha's cutting wind helped remove the demons that weren't destroyed by the cutting wind, but they still kept coming. It was as if Naraku had discovered a well of evil and had opened it up upon them.   
  
Then it stopped. Miroku sheathed his void. Inuyasha stopped his mad swinging, and held his sword in front of him, positioning for the next attack. Naraku chuckled, then burst into many tentacles, some burrowing into the ground, others heading straight for them. Inuyasha barked an order for Kagome to stay with Sango, then charged right at the tentacle nearest to him, and sliced it down the middle with Tetsusaiga. Airborne, Kagome shot whatever tentacle came too close to Inuyasha for her liking. Miroku sucked up tentacle, and unintentionally some of the poisonous bugs that were concealed inside the tentacles. Inuyasha was nearing Naraku, when a blue arrow shot out and stabbed Kagome in her leg, knocking her balance off, sending her plummeting to the forest floor below. Sango called out for her friend, but was distracted by the sickle that came her way. Kohaku was flying on the feather, heading straight for her. Long suppressed feelings and fears welled up inside of her, threatening to consume her. It took all of her will to prevent herself from fruitlessly trying to save Kohaku, and sacrificing herself in the process. The two landed, not to far from the clearing, and faced off.   
  
Kagome landed on a pile of dead leaves with a thunk. Shippo, who had transformed into a bubble, floated down to her. With a pop, he transformed into his normal self. He asked if Kagome was all right, but never got an answer, because of the arrow sticking out of his chest. Kagome could do nothing but stare in shock as she felt his presence snap out of existence. When she turned to look at who had killed her friend, and sort of adopted son, she met with the visage of Kikyou. Kagome gasped, and tried to get a word out, but nothing came. She tried to stand up, and succeeded, though she was shaky, and went for her arrows. She never made it to her arrows though, as two arrows pinned her shoulders to the tree behind her. The sharp pain in her shoulders would never compare to the pain she was about to receive though. She tried to mouth out the word why, and was greeted with a most horrible sight. Kikyou had stepped aside to give her an unobstructed view of her friends. Sango on the right was battling Kohaku. She had several wounds, but still was going strong. She was doing okay, until a blast of wind struck Kirara, sending her into a tree. Sango looked back, and called out to the fire cat, but was silenced by the sickle that was now sticking in her neck. It was violently yanked out, covered in dark red blood. It returned to its user, then thrown again, decapitating Sango. Kirara stood up shakily, but was suddenly impaled by tentacle of Naraku, going cleanly through her midsection. Kagura's blades of wind finished her off. All Kagome could do was stare in shock as she witnessed her friends death. Nearby, Miroku had witnessed Sango's death, and shrieked in pain. He ran over to her body, sucking up anything in his path. As he got to her, his hand pulsed, then exploded, beginning to suck him to his death. Miroku reeled in pain, the torment evident in his face. He sucked up the remains of Sango, and Kirara, which produced a look of pure pain on his face, as another tentacle burst up from the ground, traveled through Miroku's stomach, and into the void. Kagome watched on with horror as the monk was sucked into the void, slowly and painfully. The last thing that went was his head, with a permanent face of pain stuck on it. A large crater was all that remained of her friends. A large explosion caught her attention. Inuyasha was right on top of Naraku, and had brought Tetsusaiga down right on top of him. The Tetsusaiga pulsed red, then turned hard and crystalline, and broke through, destroying Naraku. Inuyasha gave a yell of triumph, but was cut short by the tentacle sticking through his stomach. Kagome screamed his name, but nothing came out. Kikyou had left her side and approached Inuyasha. She aimed her bow straight at Inuyasha's heart. A look of pain and fear, then of indescribable pain came across Inuyasha's face. "You are mine Inuyasha." Kikyou silenced any response Inuyasha might have, destroying his heart; the one Kagome had fallen in love with. Inuyasha slumped to the ground, his last breath exhaling from him a cold fog. Kagome regained control of her voice and screamed for Inuyasha to wake up. "He is mine," was all Kikyou said before putting an arrow into Kagome's heart... 


	7. Chapter 6

Still don't own the hanyou in red.   
  
** Chapter 6 **  
  
Kagome woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. It was a nightmare, a horrid, graphic nightmare, and one that she would never forget. She sat there, panting, trying to calm herself. What she had just seen felt real, and stung like the bite of an arrow piercing her heart. She thought she could still feel the arrows lodged in her shoulders. Her hand came up instinctively to check for wounds. She found nothing, letting a wave of relief course through her body. The loss of her friends was still keen in her mind, an image not easily forgotten.   
  
Her family came in to check up on her, only to find out it was a nightmare. After a few warm words to help her calm down, the left her after she assured them she would be all right for the rest of the night. She had just lied to get them to go back to bed, not full of the same worry and paranoia she felt, ignorant to the workings of her world. She could not bring herself to share the burden she carried; it would be too cruel to rip them from their peaceful world, and lay more to the burdens they already carried. After they had left, she got out of bed and went to the window, peering out through the glass into the moonlight night. A strange fog had covered the ground, mimicking the same fog she had in her nightmare. The view sent a chill up her spine. She didn't sense any evil force at work nearby, or anywhere in Tokyo, but there was this feeling, however small, that told her things were about to take a turn for the worst. So many things could go wrong at this point, Kagome rationalized that her fear was based solely on paranoia.   
  
Looking at the full moon brought back memories of her times in feudal Japan. Things were finally coming to a close; she would soon be done with the life in feudal Japan. But did she want it to end? As she stared through the window, memories of times long past came flooding back, memories of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha. Especially Inuyasha. They had all been through so much together, faced death so many times it was normal to have someone trying to kill you, felt so much pain at the hands of one person: Naraku. Except for Kagome. He had not hurt her directly, only injured in battle, when she got in the way. Naraku hadn't done anything particularly horrible to her, or even made to do so. No, that job fell to someone he had no part in creating: Kikyou. Kikyou was the only one who stood between her and Inuyasha. She had done so much to Kagome, Naraku almost paled in comparison. Besides occupying the spot she longed after in Inuyasha's heart, Inuyasha constantly reminded her of her inferiority to Kikyou. She knew she would never compare to her, in power, or in mind. Maybe that was how Kagome could justify Kikyou taking shards from her; by assuming she was doing something wise with it. But that never worked out, because she ended up giving it to Naraku. Kikyou was a plague on the world, sent just for Kagome it seemed at times. But then there were the times where she helped Kagome, helping her by lending some of her power, and mind. Maybe it was to repay her for the kindness Kagome had showed her earlier, one may never know. It made her wonder if there was more to the hatful clay pot that Kikyou was, but she would probably never find out. She knew one thing for certain: Kikyou was going to drag Inuyasha to hell with her. As much as she despised that thought, she knew it was not her right to decide for Inuyasha. She also knew it wasn't right he kept her stringing along, going between the two, with no consideration for her feelings. She didn't know how much she could take, so she latched on to the hope he would change.   
  
Years in the past, at the same moment, Inuyasha was staring up at the same moon. He always had enjoyed looking up at the stars, and to some extent, the moon. He despised the moon for its absence, the same that robbed him of his strength, leaving him weak to any attack. Yet it was there for the rest of the time, and was there to offer him strength. High in his tree, the heavens were all the comfort he had ever had, until now. Now he had Kagome. It was strange, the effect she had on him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He had never felt this when he was with Kikyou. He knew he was drawn to her then, because of their common suffering, and drew them close. But it never reached this. He never really trusted Kikyou, and for good reason. She had betrayed him at the first sign of attack. It had been Naraku's fault, yes, but it never should have happened. Had he not gone after the jewel, Kikyou might still be alive, Naraku dead, and things might have been different. He was the one who really deserved the blame. He had caused her death, and it was up to him to avenge her death, by destroying the one responsible, and if nessesary, appease Kikyou with his death. Maybe he would be free of this terrible guilt he carried around. He had been fortunate no one had discovered that was one of the real reasons he used his rough personality as a shield. He knew they knew that he felt responsible for her death, or at least Miroku did. But they didn't know how deep it ran. It was a burning fire, desperate for the blood of Naraku, and the appeasement of Kikyou. It was consuming him, dictating every thing he did. The search for jewel shards wasn't just that, it was a search for Naraku, and ultimately a way to quench the fire that continued to eat at him. If it didn't, the jewel would fix that. He knew if he consumed the jewel it would turn him into a mindless demon, just as Kagome had suspected, but it would at least relieve him of his pain. That was all the jewel was good for, a medicine to relieve the pain. He didn't need it to become powerful; he already had as much power as one could ask for. He needed it to destroy the source of the pain: his human side. Demons didn't feel remorse, or they wouldn't be able to go around killing senselessly. It plagued him each time he had to kill, and it was only subdued by the fact they recipients were evil demons, each destroying something. It was why he could never kill anyone, like a demon could, and why he held back. He had a conscience, and he was embarrassed by it, tormented by it, and it was his weakness. He hoped Kagome would appreciate what he was doing, letting he conscience have free reign, forgetting his guilt. He would be showing her the real him, one she had only glimpsed, and the one they often made fun of him for. He would see where his true friends lied.   
  
It was only temporary, but the vacation would be good for him. The magic would subside if any real danger presented itself, or if things turned nasty. He let his mind relax, and became one with the tree, molding to fit its supportive curves. He felt the guilt, the pain, the memories fly away as it took effect, and peace came down on Inuyasha for the first time in many years, since the death of his father... 


	8. Chapter 7

Sorry for the lack of updatedness. Time is no man's friend, and it certainly isn't mine. This is the "pretty chapters" as I call them. They are designed to make you feel all happy. Then you all get to hate me later when I turn dark! I am thinking about pumping some romance in later on, just to try my hand at it.   
  
Here is a disclaimer for you, sort of refresh your memory:   
  
**I don't own Inuyasha. Wish I did.**   
  
On with the story...   
  
** Chapter 7 **   
  
Kagome was nervous about her return. Inuyasha's strange behavior had put her on edge, and she thought she was ready for anything he threw at her. She didn't sense his familiar presence anywhere around the well as she climbed out. _'Strange, Inuyasha is almost always somewhere in his tree anytime I am gone.'_ She lugged her big yellow back out of the well, and shouldered it._ 'I got to learn how to pack lighter. This thing weighs a ton.'_ Kagome started down the trail to the village.   
  
Inuyasha had woken up that morning feeling quite happy, which was quite an unnatural feeling, but he soon got over it and got used to it. It almost felt like he had discovered freedom, but then there was this little black cloud in the back of his mind, boiling, just waiting to take over and destroy his happy mood, yet was kept back by something strong. It was easily dismissed. Kagome's scent floated over to him, as he relaxed in the field. The cloud in the back of his mind changed from a black to a red, but was silenced by the black again. Again it was dismissed. He remembered Kagome, but had forgotten a few things here and there, which alarmed him that he had actually forgotten, but seemed rather small. There many gaps in his memory, and they all seemed to belong to that black cloud, deep in the recesses of his mind. The little cloud had troubled him for part of that morning, but it was easily overcome by the great day that was before him. It was as if the clouds had parted to leave nothing but a clear warm day. Inuyasha couldn't resist lounging in the field, basking in the sun's warmth.   
  
Kagome would have taken the unusually good-tempered day to heart, if worrying didn't plague her. She came upon the village and found Miroku next to Sango. _'What a golden opportunity.'_ She snuck up on them, and listened in on their conversation.   
  
Miroku: "It really is quite disturbing. I have never seen him so... so..."   
  
Sango: "Happy?"   
  
Miroku: "No, more like content. It really is quite disturbing."   
  
Sango: "I know. He usually is moping around about now, waiting impatiently for Kagome to come back."   
  
Miroku: "It doesn't bode well, especially after that blast of energy we felt last night."   
  
Sango: "Yes. I hope we haven't stumbled into another trap."   
  
Miroku: "I hope Inuyasha hasn't earned the spite of some demoness, who decided to enchant him..."   
  
Kagome felt her fear increasing with every second of the conversation. She had her back to the hut, and was sweating profusely. Thoughts were bombarding her mind, imminent deaths, possible dooms, and ideas of a painful torture flowed through her mind. What had happened while she was gone?   
  
***SMACK***   
  
The resonating smack brought her out of her thoughts. Miroku had just done something perverse. She risked a glance around the corner, and was greeted with the sight of an unconscious monk, with a lump the size of a golf ball on his head. Sango was in fumes. "To think you could even carry on a conversation while our friend could be in trouble..." Sango berated herself more than the monk. Kagome came out of hiding and crept up on the two. "What did he do this time?" Sango turned around, looked a bit sheepish, then proceeded to give the monk another kick in his side.   
  
Sango: "When did you get back Kagome?"   
  
Kagome: "Just a while ago"   
  
Kagome motioned to Miroku. Sango took the hint and tried to explain, without revealing the contents of their conversation.   
  
Sango: "He groped me again, while we were having an conversation."   
  
Kagome: "About what?"   
  
Sango saw that mischievous look as it flashed across Kagome's face. She knew her friend had listened in on their little talk about Inuyasha; the only question was how much she knew.   
  
Sango: "How much did you hear?"   
  
Kagome new she was caught, and gave herself up. She really wanted to know what was going on now, she couldn't contain herself.   
  
Kagome: "From the part about Inuyasha being happy."   
  
Sango got wide eyed for a second. _'She has been listening that long?!' _She covered her surprise, and proceeded to explain.   
  
Sango: "Well he was all moody for the first part of the week, and we couldn't get him to do much, or get much out of him. Eventually we pestered him enough to where he told us you would be back at the end of the week, but that was all we got out of him. Miroku tried to find out if he screwed up something, but he wouldn't say anything, only start staring of into space. Then near the middle of the week, we felt a small magic pulse. We searched for it's source, but never found it. Last night we felt a strong blast of energy, similar to that of Shikon jewel. But we didn't find its source either, and found a happy Inuyasha this morning."   
  
Kagome sat there and processed this new information, while Miroku stayed slumped where he was, gurgling. It didn't seem like anything had gone wrong while she was gone, only Inuyasha was acting strange. But it didn't make any sense. Inuyasha never stayed happy for too long, and she knew he had reasons too, so this meant either something really good happened, or something was afoot, and it wasn't going to be good. Kagome decided the only way to find out, was to talk to Inuyasha himself. Kagome left her backpack with the two, and went to the field Inuyasha was last seen in. 


End file.
